Sarah Markos is a stay-at-home mom who sews and plays with fabric as a much-needed creative outlet. Her mother taught her to sew when she was young and she likes using her skills to make things for her home and kids (especially their Halloween costumes!). Sarah also designs handbags and is always dreaming up a new design in her head.

Sarah is the co-author of Just for You, which features clothing and accessory patterns you can make when you are in the mood for a little “selfish sewing.” Sarah has handbag patterns in the book, and also recently published her first PDF pattern, the Mini Tulip Tote. She sells handmade goods in the Etsy shop that she stocks with her mom and sister, and she blogs about her sewing adventures at Blue Susan Makes.

Make It

Malibu Satchel
The Malibu Satchel from Fabric Mutt is a classic handbag that can be customized for anyone on your gift list with a simple change in fabric choice. It features a convenient handle and a crossbody strap that you make with webbing for a timesaving bonus.

Speedy Patchwork Tote
Patchwork on this tote makes it extra cute! Caroline shows you a neat trick to make perfect patchwork in no time in the Speedy Patchwork Tote from Sew Can She.

Cat Eye Pouch
Sherri’s cleverly constructed Cat Eye Pouch from Thread Riding Hood is a fun twist on a zippered pouch. It’s the perfect little clutch for when you only need to carry essentials.

Foldover Clutch with Shoulder Strap
We love the look of a foldover clutch, but don’t always have the hands to hold one. The gals at iCandy handmade solved the problem with this Foldover Clutch with Shoulder Strap tutorial.

Pretty Floral Divided Tote
The Pretty Floral Divided Tote from Thread Riding Hood has a clever design. There is a special divider down the center that comes in super handy when you are looking for a way to divide your towels from your sunscreen, or cucumbers from your fresh strawberry jam!

Duffel PurseSeamstress Erin‘s Duffel Purse here at Sew Mama Sew is a fun bag option, and you can get lots of different looks from the classic design with different fabric choices.

Drawstring Backpack
The easy Drawstring Backpack by Alice and Eloise is just perfect for any kid to carry around on all of their adventures. We love the front pocket, open and ready for quickly stashed items.

Interactive Toddler Purse
Keep those little hands busy with the Interactive Toddler Purse from Kimbo of A Girl and a Gluegun. Even little ones can have fun with a handbag.

Safari Duffle Bag
Looking for a special gift for the man in your life? Stitch up this amazing Safari Duffle Bag from Sew4Home! Don’t be intimidated by the canvas and faux leather as it’s easier to sew than you think.

Print It

Tree Topped Gift Box
A Tree Topped Gift Box from The Thinking Closet is the perfect place to hide a little something for your favorite someone.

Win It

Comment on today’s post for a chance to win one of these prizes!Tip: If you’re hoping to win a prize that notes “US shipping only,” include your state in your name (i.e. Beth in WA) so we can confirm residence and avoid any disappointment on your end. Shipping range is determined by the generous companies that contribute prizes.

You spend all day doing things for everyone else. It’s time to renew your creative energy by sewing something just for yourself. This chic collection of 24 modern purses, totes, skirts, tops, scarves, and more apparel and accessories from the bloggers at sewcanshe.com gives you the perfect way to relax, replenish, and experience the joy of doing what you love. The projects in this book are organized into 12 chapters for the 12 months of the year, so you can sew sweet little projects all year long. Blog tutorial–style photo instructions make the sewing easy for sewists of all levels.

Covering a wide range of techniques for both hand and machine quilting, this gentle guide uses clear step-by-step illustrations to walk the novice quilter from the very beginnings of choosing materials, preparing and cutting fabric, through to intermediate and advanced techniques like adding edgings and displaying their work. Useful troubleshooting tips are peppered throughout to help avoid common pitfalls. A directory of quilt blocks contains loads of ideas for variations, joining methods, and embellishments. Plus, invaluable instructions are given for how to draft blocks to fit the preferred size measurements of any project, big or small.

Also included are thirty projects complete with full step-by-step instructions, fabric requirements, clear photos and diagrams, plus pages of full-size templates. The hidden-spiral binding and full-color photographs and drawings make this a user-friendly resource that quilters will turn to again and again for information, as well as inspiration.

Stylish Skirts is the English edition of a popular Japanese sew-it-yourself fashion book which allows you to create simple yet stylish skirts that look and feel great—at a fraction of the cost of store-bought fashion. With this Japanese Sewing book, there’s no end to the kinds of skirts you can create to match your body shape, your taste in fabrics and colors, and your mood (not to mention your favorite tops, shoes and accessories)! The instructions and diagrams are a snap to follow and provide a huge variety of styles—from ultra-feminine to artfully disheveled. All 23 skirt designs in this book look great in different fabrics, colors, prints and textures—so the options are truly endless. The enclosed DIY sewing instructions make cutting and sewing these skirts a breeze.

Author Sato Watanabe has written many of the most popular Japanese sewing books on the market. In this new book, she shows you how to make professional-quality skirts easily and inexpensively at home. She studied clothing and accessory design at Tokyo’s famous Bunka Fashion College before beginning a career as a magazine editor, eventually turning her writing skills to creating bestselling books!

Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns: A Guide to Customizing a Hand-Stitched Alabama Chanin Wardrobe by Natalie Chanin is a companion to the Alabama Studio Series: Alabama Stitch Book, Alabama Studio Style, and Alabama Studio Sewing + Design. In this final volume of the four-book series, Chanin offers, by popular demand, three new core patterns—the A-Line Dress/Tunic/Top, the Long and Short Wrap Skirt, and the Classic Coat/Jacket/Cardigan—and a guide to customizing garments to fit and flatter. For ease, convenience, and to ease its ecological footprint, this book comes with a CD rather than paper patterns. The disc contains patterns for all of the garments from the previous books in the Alabama Studio series with additional sizing for XXL, the three new patterns, plus five Alabama Chanin stencil designs, including the Polka Dot in three sizes, the popular New Leaves, and the classic Magdalena (all for readers to print as needed for their individual sewing purposes). Printed and bound in the USA.